Investment Platform

If you are comfortable that you would like to invest without any input from advisers and to manage your own money online, then the Money Guidance platform provides you with a highly competitive range of investments from which to select. You are able to gain secure access to more than 1500 funds (i.e. collective investments such as Unit Trusts and OEICs), FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 shares, as well as Exchange Traded Funds.

In the past, online investors have only been able to place their investments with “direct to consumer” websites (such as those offered by Hargreaves Lansdown and Bestinvest). Accordingly, it has not been possible to gain low-cost access to the type of excellent WRAP arrangements favoured by financial advisers – such as the investment platform now available via Money Guidance.

Using Money Guidance’s platform, what you see is precisely what you will get in terms of costs. The fee to IFDL (the platform provider) is competitive and clearly stated. There is no membership (distributor) charge made by Money Guidance for you to access the Investor Direct platform, as provided by Investment Funds Direct Limited (part of the Royal London Group). Finally, all fund choices make use of clean pricing. This means that you can often access investments at the same rates offered to large institutions, and there are no inflated charges from which to remunerate intermediaries or fund managers (sometimes known cynically as “the croupier’s take”).

Want to know more about the range of funds?

A list of over 1500 investments currently available can be seen in Adobe PDF by Clicking Here

Of course, investment performance is not all about cost – but it does represent a significant component, as independent research consistently points to evidence that low financial charges are correlated with superior results.

EXAMPLES OF TOTAL ANNUAL COST OF INVESTING

Amount Invested

Money Guidance Annual Fee

IFDL % Charge per annum

Equivalent IFDL Charge per annum

Annual Cost of Index Tracking Funds (0.20%)

Total Cost of Investing per annum

£25000

Nil

0.25%

£62.50

£50

£112.50 (0.45%)

£50000

Nil

0.25%

£125

£100

£225 (0.45%)

£100000

Nil

0.225%

£225

£200

£425 (0.425%)

This part of the site allows you to make investments in a range of accounts. You can open or transfer a SIPP, ISA or Investment Account using a simple online application process. Once you have registered you can log in and check your progress, buy, sell or withdraw cash whenever you want. The service is administered by Investor Direct which is provided by Investment Funds Direct Limited, part of the Royal London Group.

Benefits

Because you are doing the research and selecting your own investments the charges are competitive. You can always go back and get advice from your adviser but this service allows you to undertake fund and equity purchases on your own.

My Portfolio

Once you have registered you will log straight in to ‘My Portfolio’ you will be able to track your investments and buy, sell or withdraw cash when you choose.

How do I register?

The Investor Direct Service is an execution-only, non advised service. The application process has three stages which will allow you to set up your Account and select your Investments. These are:

Once you have registered you will receive an account number then set up a password and pin so you can quickly access your portfolio anytime, anywhere.

Charges

On the first page of your registration process you will find all the charges very clearly set out. There are no hidden costs or commissions. You will be paying a fee to Investor Direct for the platform administration, your Distributor for their service, the fund manager (charges available in the selection process) and any transaction fees. Remember there are no transaction charges for buying funds. The more assets you have on the platform the lower the fee.

Risk

You should understand that we don’t assess the suitability of this service for your individual circumstances. In order to ensure you are aware of the nature and operation of the Accounts and their associated risks you should familiarise yourself with the content of the documents which are presented in the application process before you proceed with your application.

Please be aware of the risks involved. The value of investments, and any income from them, can fall as well as rise so you could get back less than you invest. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance. Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and may be subject to change. If in any doubt, please seek advice.

Investor Direct is a service provided by Investment Funds Direct Limited, part of the Royal London Group. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority No.114432. Registered in England and Wales number 1610781. VAT number 368524427.

Notice

money-guidance.co.uk only contains market information and does not constitute advice or a personal recommendation in any way whatsoever. The products shown will be arranged on a non-advisory basis, unless otherwise agreed. If you are at all unsure of the suitability of a particular product for your circumstances you should seek independent financial advice. Please refer to our Regulatory Disclaimer and Privacy Policy for further information.

*A CIC is a limited company which is established for community purposes, and the assets and profits are dedicated to this cause. In other words, this business has been designed as a social enterprise, and not to benefit company shareholders.